The present invention relates to a hydraulic filling device for filling hydraulic control elements with a hydraulic fluid, such device having a tank that contains the hydraulic fluid, a pump, and a filling connection as well as a ventilation connection. The device is connectible to the filling connection of the hydraulic element to be filled and a ventilation line is connected to the ventilation connection of the control element to be filled.
The device is suitable for use with a piece of artillery having weapon recoil brakes and a weapon counterrecoil mechanism for filling and ventilating such weapon recoil brakes and weapon counterrecoil mechanisms.
Filling devices of this type are known per se, and serve in initial or maintenance filling of hydraulic control elements, for example hydraulic vehicle brakes, or weapon recoil brakes or weapon counterrecoil mechanisms in artillery weapons. The filling device in these cases essentially comprises a tank containing the hydraulic fluid, a pump having a filling line, and possibly a control apparatus, as is shown, for example, in DE 37 33 215 A1.
Air locks in the oil chamber of hydraulic control elements are frequently responsible for their malfunction. For example, air locks in the oil chamber of weapon recoil brakes or corresponding weapon counterrecoil mechanisms cause uncontrollable pressure increases when the barrel recoils and buffeting when the barrel moves forward. The hydraulic control elements must therefore typically be filled with the corresponding hydraulic fluid (e.g., oil) in an air-free manner, i.e., the control elements must be thoroughly ventilated during the filling process and thereafter.
it is known to ventilate the control elements manually. For this purpose, a ventilation connection is located on the respective control element, and a ventilation hose is secured to the ventilating connection. During the ventilation process, the end of the ventilation hose facing away from the ventilation connection hangs in a typically open container, such as a bucket, a can or the like.
The disadvantage of this known manual ventilation is that the exiting hydraulic oil foams as it sprays into the open container. Thus, there exists the danger that the maintenance personnel will be soiled with oil and, in addition the environment will be damaged. Another danger is that of impairment of the health of the maintenance personnel, because the oil is slightly toxic. The hydraulic oil which is removed must later be cleaned by using a filter system, and can only then be re-supplied to the hydraulic element. However, usually the oil removed during the ventilation process is not conveyed back to the kettle but is decontaminated in a relatively expensive manner.